It is known from EP1101067B1 by the Applicant an electronic gas igniter device in which there is integrated a box-like terminal board accommodating the electric power contacts therein, to which the terminals of an electric power cable are coupled in use; according to such embodiment, the box-like terminal board, possibly provided with a removable lid and a traditional wedge-shaped cable clamp device for the power cable, operated by means of screw, forms a single casing formed by non-conducting material with a cup-shaped body which accommodates igniter means composed by at least one secondary winding of a transformer and by electric contacts of the faston type connectable in use, in a known manner, to ignition electrodes of the burners of an electric household appliance, e.g. a cooking range, for feeding high-voltage electric impulses for generating sparks adapted to cause the ignition of the burners themselves.
The part of casing forming the terminal board contains therein electronic control means of the igniter means and the power contacts are directly wired to these and to the igniter means inside the device, so as to simplify the assembly operations to the greatest extent. Finally, a ground contact extends in a cantilevered way from the box-shaped part of the casing so that, when the same is fixed, usually by snapping means, to an electrically conductive part of the electric household appliance, it comes into contact with such conductive part, thus forming the grounding of the conductive part itself, usually formed by the cooking range.
The above-described known device is more than satisfactory. However, electric household appliance manufacturers are currently searching for an alternative solution which, on the one hand, may further simplify the assembly operations and which, on the other hand, may reduce the total cost of the device.
Furthermore, it is currently felt the need to allow, during maintenance, the replacement of the terminal board portion of the device independent from the replacement of the portion containing the igniter means (and vice versa), without affecting the possibility of handling on the assembly line and of assembling the two portions of the device as a single unit.